The McGonagall Chronicles
by Silicon2123
Summary: This is the back-story of Minerva McGonagall. It starts with her first year at Hogwarts...
1. Chapter 1

At her first time on the Hogwarts express, she sat alone. She was smart, ingenious actually, but amiability was never her forte. She had no friends, save for her many siblings. Being noticed embarrassed her. Minerva stared wistfully out the window of the cabin, pressing her hand to the glass. It was cool to the touch and light rain drop or two slid down the glass. Then three, then four. She smiled as the rain started to fall harder. The pattering soothed her, and before long, she had fallen asleep as the untiring train rushed on towards its destination.

"Wait, they pull themselves?" Minerva heard another first year ask.

"Yeah," a third year replied, "every year. They always have." Minerva's eyes widened. Cool. When she boarded the carriage, she avoided everyone's eyes. A boy scooted away from her. Which was just as well, the told herself. Better not form attachments. She'd be out of there in seven years anyways.

Minerva almost lost consciousness from holding her breath when she was called up to get sorted. She sat on the rickety three-legged stool while the deputy headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, gently placed the hat on her small, raven-haired head. The hat mumbled to itself for a long time before it reached its conclusion. "Well, I see you are exceedingly smart, no I don't think I've ever seen a first year with this knowledge." The hat said, "Maybe Ravenclaw? No, no," it muttered, "you are also brave. Brave like a Gryffindor. Brave without knowing it. But what is this? Hatred? The young hatred of a Slytheyn? Hardworking, but surely not Hufflepuff. No, I dare say you don't fit into any of the houses. Hm, well this is new…no house at all!" the hat shouted. The entire great hall was silent. Minerva could tell that this had never, ever happened before. It was then that she fainted.

When she regained consciousness, she was lying on a cot in a large room (she assumed that due to her current condition, it was the hospital wing) with curious faces peering at her. Headmaster Dippet was at the foot of the bed, surveying his queer new student. A few other teachers that she couldn't name also stared at her intently, but none of their gazes were as penetrating as Professor Dumbledore's. She knew he was not a man to be reckoned with. His gaze swept over her, surveying her, and was that a hint of sympathy in his eyes? "Miss, McGonagall," the headmaster started, "it seems that out sorting hat has resulted in a rather odd conclusion." No, duh. Minerva tried not to make a face as the headmaster continued. "During your seven years at Hogwarts, or by the description of the sorting hat, probably less," Did the sorting hat say those things out loud? Minerva turned scarlet. Professor Dumbledore touched Professor Dippet lightly on the shoulder and the headmaster continued on the different note. "You will not belong to one of the houses. If you intend to join a team of any sort, you can try out for whichever you would like to be on, mind you, only one." Minerva nodded weakly. "So now we will leave you to your things." And the teachers left the room.

"Alright, dearie, you're free to go. Mind you, if you have any more dizzy spells, come right back," the nurse said. Minerva nodded weakly and stood. Thanking the nurse, she left the room as well.

Minerva was given a small room just off of the fourth floor main corridor. As soon as she reached it, she began to unpack her clothes. She made a makeshift dresser and set about organizing her few belongings. Inside went her clothes and on top, her other possessions. Some school books, a hairbrush, but most importantly two pictures. One of when she was a little over one year old, holding her parents' hands and smiling into the camera. She had been brought up as a witch. Her parents were both magical and they had passed it on to her. The second one was of her whole family at the time. Her mother Demeter, herself, Apollo, Diana, and a tiny baby in her mother's arms which was her youngest brother, Mercury were all waving and smiling. Vesta, her youngest sibling, had not been born yet. Minerva smiled as she traced the outline of her mother's stomach. There she was.

She sighed and changed into her pajamas. She unbraided her ebony hair and let the shiny locks fall past her shoulders. Minerva climbed into her bed, grateful to end her stressful day, yet very (very) reluctant to start another.


	2. Chapter 2

The year flew by for Minerva. She was top in every single class, no doubt the valedictorian in her year, yet she still had no friends. She had finished a great many of the library's books on her own, but soon grew tired of spending all of her spare moments in her stuffy, windowless room. Forcefully, she slammed her book shut. The noise made her jump and she whispered a quick sorry. Then sucked out of her room, embarrassed to be talking to herself again (even if there was no one else to hear her).

Minerva ran down the castle stairs, intending to go outside and get a breath of fresh air. Then it occurred to her. Why not just…make a room outside? Genius that she was, Minerva put a spell on one of the small trees close to the lake that enabled her to step inside the trunk. With a simple enlargement spell, she had a perfect place to sit and think. She spent all of her free time in that tree, watching the squid in the lake, reading, doing extra credit work, and imagining. Oh how she loved imagining. Creating utopias that she was the star of. Not that she really wanted that in real life. Did she? Absolutely not.

Once, she fell asleep amidst a stack of books, waking up to a sharp pain in her side where the corner of a hard cover had dug in, and the realization that she had missed her morning transfiguration class. With a gasp, she sat straight up. Oh, she thought, Professor Dumbledore would not be happy. He didn't seem to mind very much, however, that his star pupil had not been present for the class. When Minerva went to apologize and ask for any worksheets he may have given out, he simply gave her a small smile and said, "Fret not, Miss McGonagall. It's nothing you don't already know." She had the sneaking suspicion he knew where she had been as the professor's blue eyes peered intently into her small grey ones.

During her second year at Hogwarts, the renowned dark arts master or her time had tortured her remaining parent into insanity. A living death. Only months before that, her now mentally injured mother had given birth to another daughter, making the number of McGonagall children an even six. The name of the daughter was Vesta and she was practically perfect, except for one tiny little flaw.

One day, it was snowing so hard, Minerva couldn't go outside. She was forced to do her homework in the confines of her room or seek out a table in the surely crowded library. She opted for the former. As she was working on a particularly long essay on a history of stunning spells, Minerva was interrupted by a knock on her door. She ran over to look through the keyhole and saw purple. She could tell by the footsteps that it was a professor, and there was only one professor who would wear purple robes. Hiding a smile, she opened the door to find her assumptions correct. Professor Dumbledore was standing outside of her room wearing a very grave expression. "Professor Dippet would like to see you in his office immediately." Minerva turned visibly paler. "No, Miss McGonagall, you are not in trouble." Minerva relaxed (though not for very long) and followed the professor to a grey, stone gargoyle. "Thirty three," the professor said. This was obviously a password, for the gargoyle moved aside to reveal a climbing set of stairs. They silently walked up. Dumbledore looked strictly ahead, but Minerva's eyes swiveled all around the stairs, trying to take in every detail of the magnificence. She almost fainted again when she saw the headmaster's office. The walls were covered in portraits and there were gadgets and books everywhere. She could have stayed there forever trying to find all of the secrets this room seemed to hold, however the headmaster interrupted the beginning of an extreme day dream.

"Minerva McGonagall." She quickly snapped out of it. "Minerva, I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but your mother is no longer able to take care of your siblings. She has been tortured almost to the point of death by Cirecon. I assume you know who he is." He didn't wait long enough for Minerva to answer before he started talking again. "In order to keep your family alive and safe, you siblings are to be transferred to a foster family of muggles."

"What?" Minerva exploded.

"I think you heard wh-" Headmaster Dippet started, however Dumbledore interrupted.

"I think that Miss McGonagall meant the word 'what' in an entirely different sense." "Of, of course." The headmaster sputtered in return. Dumbledore continued, "I think it would be wise to ask Minerva what shall happen to herself and her family."

"Oh, alright," The headmaster sighed. "Albus, you're going to run me out of my office someday. Miss McGonagall, what would you like to do?"

"Ca- can," Minerva started very self conscious of the fact both men watching her. "Can my siblings come and live with me here at Hogwarts?" she blurted out. Minerva didn't wait for a response before she continued rapidly. "They can share my room and food and everything." Professor Dumbledore was the first to respond.

"I don't believe it is a problem of space, nor food. The issue is merely of who would look after them. I am aware that you have a very young sister on your hands now."

"Then you are aware of my sister's…" she thought for a minute about the right word, "disability." Minerva responded, a hint of disrespect in her voice.

"Yes, I am well aware that your sister is mute." Dumbledore replied calmly.

"Then she can come to class with me! She won't be a distraction, and she won't, or rather, she can't make a sound. My other siblings can, um, can, um, I can set an enlargement charm on my room, and they can stay there. When I don't have classes, they can walk around with me. They are all magical, and can see everything!" Minerva said desperately. "

Well then, I see no reason why not. Professor Dippet?" Dumbledore said. Minerva's jaw dropped. She had to admit to herself that her plan was rather far fetched. Dumbledore must have thought of the idea before. He must have.

Headmaster Dippet hastily shook his head, not wanting to disagree with Dumbledore, and so it was settled. Minerva's family moved in the next day. The extra responsibility did not affect her class work, but they did take her chances of making friends from slim to none.


	3. Chapter 3

Before her sisters and brothers were due to arrive, Minerva had gotten four extra beds from the headmaster for her room. She shrunk one and tacked bars around it to make a makeshift crib for Vesta, Two of the beds were stacked on top of each other for the twins, and she took the remaining extra bed and covered the print with little animals. She pushed the beds for her siblings together, and put hers nearby. Minerva then roped off a part of the room and put colorful curtains around it so her siblings would have a special area in which to play when she was at class. She enchanted her door so that nobody could get in or out without the password (Minerva made a mental note to speak with the famous 'Fat Lady' about that more later). That left two things to do. Go to the library to get old books that nobody wanted, and put out a notice that anyone with extra toys they brought could donate them if they so chose. The library was easy. The librarian seemed to take a liking to the new outcast and sent her out with loads of books. The donations were harder. She was too shy to put up any notices, and couldn't go into any of the common rooms. In the end, she just gave up on the idea. Minerva was smart – she could figure something out.

Still a little dejected, she went to see her transfiguration teacher to see if he had any useful spells. Her whole body shook as she walked down the long corridor to the classroom. She took a deep breath when she arrived at the intricate wooden door before knocking. Not long after, a voice called, "Come in Miss McGonagall." She pushed open the door and saw Professor Dumbledore sitting at his desk.

"How did you know it was me professor?" she asked.

"You will learn when it is needed," Dumbledore said with a mischievous smile. Minerva really liked the professor, but he got on her nerves sometimes.

"Professor, I was, well, um, I was wondering if you could give me any spells that could, um, turn simple objects into, um, toys for my siblings to play with when I'm in classes." Dumbledore peered at her over his half moon spectacles.

"Well, I see no reason why not. You certainly have the talent." And he showed her spells that any normal second year couldn't have hoped to accomplish, but they were simple for Minerva, the genius.

She rushed outside, picking up every moderately sized pebble she could find to transfigure into toys. When she ascended the stairs, she looked a bit funny (weighed down by all the rocks and such), and more than a few people pointed and whispered. "Looks like Minerva the Misfit found some friends!" one of the other, rather short, second years called out. So that's what they called her. A misfit.

"Stop that Dolores. That was mean." Another chided her. "Minerva is probably smarter than you are anyways." Dolores stuck her tongue out at the voice.

"Shut up, Poppy. Like you know anything," she muttered and resumed her taunting. Minerva sped up as fast as she could with all of the rocks she was holding. When she finally arrived at her room, she muttered "hollow," her password. She dumped the rocks on the floor and began transfiguring them into bright toys and games for the children to play with.

As hard as she tried to keep her head quiet, the teasing just replayed over and over again. Her hand shook as she cast a rather complicated spell on a larger rock and it shattered, spraying her with the shrapnel. "Damn." Minerva cleaned up the bits. She'd have to be more careful next time.

She only had a few seconds rest before there was another knock on her door. The toys were thrown into the roped off area and the door opened quickly. She cried out in excitement when she saw who her caller was and dashed over to hug her brothers and sisters. Apollo was carrying Mercury and Diana held Vesta. Had she been strong enough, she would have picked them all up and hugged them tight. However, she had to settle for two at a time. When they all broke apart, Minerva set them on their respective beds and began her explanation of the current turn of events. "Okay," She began, sounding very dignified. "You have all come to stay with me at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft And Wizardry. Here are your beds. If you decide you want different colored or patterned bed spreads, you can just tell me and I'll set them for you. Do you see that roped off area?" she pointed at the colorful curtains. "That is your play room. You will see that there are plenty of toys and games to keep you busy when I am in lessons. After I am through with my homework, I will take you all out around the grounds for walks and outdoor games. I will be taking Vesta with me to lessons with me until Apollo and Diana are a little older. When you are eleven years old, you will be sorted into your Hogwarts houses and you will no longer have to stay with me. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah," Apollo said, "Won't we get bored?"

"Nope." Minerva replied, "You will never get bored. I have locked the door, so if you can't get out, don't worry."

"Yes, mommy," Diana giggled. The giggling died out, however, as she realized her comment was no longer appropriate. "I'm sorry," she said hastily, "I just meant- well, you were acting so grown up and…"

"It's alright, Ana. I know what you meant," Minerva replied solemnly.

"Minna," Mercury started, "I'm hungry."

"Oh, I forgot! For every meal, I'll take you down to the Great Hall. We'll sit in the corner at my table together! It will be fun!" Minerva answered in an overly enthusiastic voice. Diana picked up Mercury and Minerva sat Vesta on her hip. They all held hands and went down together. Minerva stared straight ahead, determined not to look at everyone who was probably gaping at her. They sat at their small table and waited for the food to appear.

"Minna," Diana started, "why aren't you sitting at one of the big tables, and why don't you have a colorful tie like everyone else?"

"Well, um, oh look you're going to love this!" Minerva evaded the questions as the food started to appear on the table. Minerva loved having her siblings with her all of the time (she had never noticed how much she missed them when she was away). It was just…Diana asked a lot of questions. She supposed eventually she would have to start coming up with the answers.


	4. Chapter 4

Minerva and her siblings stayed at school over the vacations and the summer with the staff, though she tried to keep out of their way. Meals over the summer were particularly embarrassing for her. Professor Dumbledore always insisted that she sit at the staff table, because half of the staff was gone. Her siblings loved being up high, but Minerva just stared at her plate trying to disappear. Sometimes she'd just give up and go down to the kitchen to make sandwiches (or rather, try and persuade the house elves that she could do it herself), then make a picnic for her family outside.

Two years later, Minerva got an outstanding on every one of her owl subjects and skipped up to a sixth year level. She didn't mind it at all, because well, she had no friends anyway. Diana and Apollo had received their letters (Dippet was a stickler for tradition) and had eventually been sorted into Gryffindor. It was rather lonely without them, but they came to play with Mercury, Minerva, and Vesta very often. One day, upon completion of their homework, Diana and Apollo volunteered to watch Vesta. Minerva declined the tempting offer. She would have like to be alone for a while, but Vesta was almost two, and tended to get in a lot of trouble. She left her other siblings with some new books and walked outside. She went down the hill to her tree, but instead of going inside, she went up. Minerva put Vesta on her shoulders and started to climb.

Suddenly, she grabbed something that was most certainly not wood. "Ouch!" she heard a voice. She quickly changed her course and sat on the nearest branch. She shifted and found herself staring face to face with a six year old boy. He had greasy black hair down to his shoulders and scrawny limbs. He was as pale as she was, and had the same determined look in his eyes. "Yes?" he asked coldly.

"Um, who are you?" Minerva responded, at a loss for words.

"I'm Severus. Severus Snape." He said.

"What are you doing here? You're not eleven!" she asked.

"Brilliant deduction. I am not eleven. I am almost seven," Snape replied. "I am here because my parents wanted to get rid of me and sent me to my grandfather. I assume you know who he is." He said cynically. Minerva raised her eyebrows. "Professor Snape." He said, "Potions teacher. Now, who are you?" he asked curtly.

"I am Minerva McGonagall." She told him with a hint of pride in her voice, "and this," she swept Vesta down from her shoulder, who giggled silently, "is Vesta McGonagall."

"Oh! I know who you are!" a look of understanding swept over his sallow face, and he dropped his cold front. "My grandfather told me all about you and your family!" Minerva turned red. "Oh, I didn't mean to embarrass you." Severus said, looking a bit ashamed.

"No, no, it's okay. I get embarrassed really easily." She assured him, bouncing Vesta on her leg.

"I get mad really easily." Severus told her, and then suddenly said, "Minerva, will you be my friend? I've never had a friend before." Minerva just about melted inside. She was filled with empathy.

"Yes," she told Severus "I've never really had…had a friend either. It's just my sisters and brothers." Severus's face lit up.

"Great!" he said, "I don't have any siblings, so… you can be my older sister!" And with that, a friendship was made. Severus loved being with Minerva's siblings almost as much as he loved being with Minerva. They made up the loving family he never had.

The next year, Minerva was told that she had achieved top scores in her NEWTs and was graduating Hogwarts with honors. Minerva immediately told her siblings and went to find Severus. She found him in the same tree. She suspected he went for reasons similar to hers, but was never one to pry into his personal life. She sat down next to her friend, her eyes sparkling more than they ever had. "Sev, Sev, I'm graduating from Hogwarts!" Severus stared at her for a second, as if he was trying to see if she was telling the truth (it gave Minerva an eerie feeling – he had a soul-searching stare like Dumbledore's). When he decided that she had, he turned around and crossed his arms, leaving his back to Minerva.

"Sev," she started, "what's wrong." There was no reply, but after a moment, he turned to look at her once more and she could see a small tear forming in his eye. He buried his head in her lap and tried not to cry. Minerva, used to crying children, stroked Severus's hair (noticing the excessive oil) and patted his back. "Sev, you need a bath," she muttered.

When he picked his head up, he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry." He said weakly. Minerva swept her wand over his head, which helped greatly. She smiled at him. "What's wrong?" she asked gently.

"I-I-I don't want you to go. You're my only friend," he cried, "You're my sister and I love you!" as soon as those words were out of his mouth, he turned pink.

"Oy, Severus!" Minerva exclaimed, "I'm not leaving; I have nowhere else to go! I'll be staying here as a teachers' helper until I'm old enough for a job. Maybe one day," she led, a mischievous tone in her voice, "I'll be teaching you." Severus wiped his eyes.

"You will?" he asked unsurely.

"Definitely," Minerva replied more confidently then she had felt in a while. "By the time you're sorted, I should be on my way."


	5. Chapter 5

Minerva began her job the next year. Vesta was four and had started using sign language to communicate with everyone else. She no longer had to be at Minerva's side constantly (and though she wouldn't admit it, Minerva was actually a bit glad). She was constantly busy being tossed from teacher to teacher, helping with odd jobs, and tutoring other students. One day, Dumbledore walked up to her as she was cleaning up the classroom. "Miss McGonagall, I have a job for you." He said to Minerva, "Though you may not want to take it." Minerva knew that she owed the world to Professor Dumbledore so she felt obliged to accept.

"I'll do it, professor. What is it that you need?" He asked her if she was sure. She nodded, wide eyed yet confident.

"Okay Miss McGonagall. I'll need you to tutor Dolores Umbridge in transfiguration." Minerva's faltered.

"A-are you sure professor? I mean, I don't think she'll agree to that."

"Oh, I'd do it myself, but I simply don't have the time, and since it seems to be your best subject…" he trailed off.

"I'll meet her in the classroom this time tomorrow, professor."

"Wonderful Miss McGonagall. Or should I say, 'Professor McGonagall?'" And Minerva assumed that she was supposed to leave. She hid a smile on her way out, her new title exciting her greatly.

The next day, Minerva was sitting in the transfiguration classroom when Dolores Umbridge burst in looking very angry. Years of tending to her siblings gave Minerva nearly endless patience, so she waited for Dolores to calm down before beginning the lesson. "Okay, let's get down to business. Um, what would you like me to call you?" Minerva asked the red faced girl. Wrong question, but in her defense, she _was_ new at this. "Dolores. Call me Dolores. You are no better than-"

"Okay! You can call me whatever you want," Minerva interrupted, "With some restrictions." Dolores simply stared at her with unbridled hatred. "Show me what you can do," Minerva told her pupil. "Transfigure this rat into a goblet." Dolores did as she was told, though her goblet looked a little furry. "Good." Minerva said. "Now let me show you how to fix that."

The lessons went on for a few months until Dolores had had enough. Minerva was showing Dolores how to transfigure simple objects into more complex objects when a frustrated Dolores turned to her, raised her wand and shouted "Vesci-" but before she could finish the spell Severus dropped down from the ceiling and attacked the short student. Dolores shrieked and Minerva quickly pulled Severus off of the unsuspecting teenager and held him tightly.

"Don't do that again Dolores." She said quietly and left the room. "You neither, Sev," she said quietly, though not as harshly as she intended. It was hard for her to be mad at him for some reason. He was just too…wonderful. How could she punish a boy who's only intention was to help her? He hardly knew better than violence. It was what he was brought up on – constant fighting. She could only hope he hadn't seen worse than a fist fight.

She set Severus down on the ground and turned to him but before she could say anything else, the boy cried, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just didn't want you to be hurt." "Sev," Minerva started, "I only want to thank you for saving me from that wretched woman." And she picked him up again and took him back to her room to play with Mercury and Vesta.


End file.
